Staff Profile

I am the manager of the Newcastle Brain Tissue Resource which is a large research tissue bank of post mortem human brain tissue based within the University.  I have been involved in shaping the system of brain donation for research in Newcastle since its earliest days.  In addition to managing the multidisciplinary team which handles all aspects of the assessment, collection, donation , storage and distribution of samples, I am also the Person Designated under the University HTA licence for the Campus for Ageing and Vitality. 

I am proud to be involved in providing this resource for researchers into dementia and neurodegenerative disorders and also to  be able to  present this to  members of the public as  a way they  too can help research.

I am also an active member of an NHS ethics committee. 

• Articles

  • Miltenberger-Miltenyi G, Jones A, Tetlow AM, Conceicao VA, Crary JF, Ditzel RM, Farrell K, Nandakumar R, Barton B, Karp BI, Kirby A, Lett DJ, Mente K, Morgello S, Simon DK, Walker RH. Sphingolipid and Phospholipid Levels Are Altered in Human Brain in Chorea-Acanthocytosis. Movement Disorders 2023, 38(8), 1535-1541.
  • Ditzel RM, Walker RH, Nirenberg MJ, Tetlow AM, Farrell K, Lind-Watson KJ, Thorn EL, Dangoor DK, Gordon R, De Sanctis C, Barton B, Karp BI, Kirby A, Lett DJ, Mente K, Simon DK, Velayos-Baeza A, Miltenberger-Miltenyi G, Humphrey J, Crary JF. An Autopsy Series of Seven Cases of VPS13A Disease (Chorea-Acanthocytosis). Movement Disorders 2023, 38(12), 2163-2172.
  • Thomas AJ, Hamilton CA, Heslegrave A, Barker S, Durcan R, Lawley S, Barnett NA, Lett D, Firbank M, Roberts G, Taylor JP, Donaghy PC, Zetterberg H, O'Brien JT. A Longitudinal Study of Plasma pTau181 in Mild Cognitive Impairment with Lewy Bodies and Alzheimer's Disease. Movement Disorders 2022, 37(7), 1495-1504.
  • Thomas AJ, Mahin-Babaei F, Saidi M, Lett D, Taylor JP, Walker L, Attems J. Improving the identification of dementia with Lewy bodies in the context of an Alzheimer’s-type dementia. Alzheimer's Research and Therapy 2018, 10(1), 27.
  • Thomas AJ, Attems J, Colloby SJ, O'Brien JT, Mckeith I, Walker R, Lee L, Burn D, Lett DJ, Walker Z. Autopsy validation of ¹²³ I-FP-CIT dopaminergic neuroimaging for the diagnosis of DLB. Neurology 2017, 88(3), 276-283.
  • Elder GJ, Colloby SJ, Lett DJ, O'Brien JT, Anderson KN, Burn DJ, McKeith IG, Taylor JP. Depressive symptoms are associated with daytime sleepiness and subjective sleep quality in dementia with Lewy bodies. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 2016, 31(7), 765-770.
  • Khundakar AA, Hanson PS, Erskine D, Lax NZ, Roscamp J, Karyka E, Tsefou E, Singh P, Cockell SJ, Gribben A, Ramsay L, Blain PJ, Mosimann UP, Lett DJ, Elstner M, Turnbull DM, Xiang CC, Brownstein MJ, O'Brien JT, Taylor JP, Attems J, Thomas AJ, McKeith IG, Morris CM. Analysis of primary visual cortex in dementia with Lewy bodies indicates GABAergic involvement associated with recurrent complex visual hallucinations. Acta Neuropathologica Communications 2016, 4, 66.
  • Tiraboschi P, Attems J, Thomas A, Brown A, Jaros E, Lett DJ, Ossola M, Perry RH, Ramsay L, Walker L, McKeith IG. Clinicians' ability to diagnose dementia with Lewy bodies is not affected by β Normal 0 false false false EN-GB X-NONE X-NONE -amyloid load. Neurology 2015, 84(5), 496-499.
  • Kurzawa-Akanbi M, Hanson PS, Blain PG, Lett DJ, McKeith IG, Chinnery PF, Morris CM. Glucocerebrosidase Mutations alter the endoplasmic reticulum and lysosomes in Lewy body disease. Journal of Neurochemistry 2012, 123(2), 298-309.

• Conference Proceedings (inc. Abstract)

  • Walker L, Thomas A, Lett DJ, McAleese KE, Johnson M, Attems J. Investigating the pathological correlate of motor dysfunction in DLB and PDD. In: 117th meeting of the British Neuropathological Society. 2016, London: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

• Letters

  • Thomas AJ, Attems J, Colloby SJ, O'Brien JT, McKeith I, Walker R, Lee L, Burn D, Lett DJ, Walker Z. Author response: Autopsy validation of 123 I-FP-CIT dopaminergic neuroimaging for the diagnosis of DLB. Neurology 2017, 89(7), 751-751.
  • Robinson AC, Palmer L, Love S, Hamard M, Esiri M, Ansorge O, Lett D, Attems J, Morris C, Troakes C, Selvackadunco S, King A, Al-Sarraj S, Mann DMA. Extended post-mortem delay times should not be viewed as a deterrent to the scientific investigation of human brain tissue: a study from the Brains for Dementia Research Network Neuropathology Study Group, UK. Acta Neuropathologica 2016, 132(5), 753-755.